Meant to Be Maybe
by musicis4ever
Summary: Penelope Halloway and Charlie Calvin have been friends forever. One day she goes with him to the North Pole and meets Bernard. Later on in her life, she finds herself in a love triangle. She makes a decision, but has second thoughts about it. R&R please! Bernard/OC Charlie/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Hey all! So one of my friends asked me what my favorite Christmas movie was as a kid and I said "the Santa Clause". She told me I should write a fanfiction about it, and I decided that I'd give it my best shot in hopes that you'll like it! And it's first person point of view from my character.**

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Disney; therefore I don't own any characters but my own. I also don't own "The Santa Clause" or "The Santa Clause 2".**

**Chapter 1: "Quiet, Penelope!"**

The doorbell rings, and I blink my gray eyes. I yawn, stretch, rub the sleep out of my eyes, and sit up. My chestnut brown hair tickles my shoulders. The moonlight glints off of my engagement ring, casting rainbows everywhere. I throw on my fuzzy pink robe and get out of bed, turning the lights on. The doorbell rings again. Sighing, I open the door. Charlie Calvin turns around.

"Well. Long time, no see," I say, dryly.

"Hello to you too, Penelope. Are you going to let me in this time?" He asks, as snow starts to fall. I rest my head on the door. He smiles, knowing I'm saying yes. I return his smile, still trying to wake up.

"So, besides the upcoming wedding next week, what's new?" He sits on the bench to take his boots off.

"Nothing really. What about you and Danielle?" I ask, pouring myself a cup of coffee.

"We're still dating. I'm going to propose to her tomorrow." He says, standing up. I notice a glint out of the corner of my eye. Turning around, I see the necklace hanging from the handle of my pantry. The light makes the pendant sparkle. I smile, lost deep in thought. I remember the day I got it. It was Christmas Eve. I was almost 6 years old, and living with my father. Coincidentally, he was the next-door neighbor of Scott Calvin. I ran down the hall, hearing my dad do the same. I squealed as he caught me by my waist.

"Got you, angel!" He said, tickling me. I laughed and squirmed. He laughed with me. He scooped me in his arms and carried me to the living room, making airplane noises. We collapsed on the couch, laughing. The oven dinged.

"Turkey time!" We chorused together.

"Ooh! You get to call dibs on the movie," Dad said, pouting. I giggled, as he got up and went into the kitchen. After we ate our dinner, Dad tucked me into bed.

"Daddy?" I asked, before he went out the door.

"Yes, angel?" He replied, turning around.

"Did you leave milk and cookies out for Santa?"

"I did."

"Do you think he'll come?"

Dad sat down on my bed.

"Of course he will, angel. You've been a very good girl this year. Why do you think he won't come?" Before I could answer, the doorbell rang.

"Stay here, Penelope. I'll be right back." I heard the door open. A cold draft made me pull the covers to my chin.

"Oh. Hello Charlie. What brings you here, at this hour?"

"Hi, Mr. Halloway. Is Penelope still awake?"

"I just tucked her in, but I'm sure she is. Would you like to talk to her?"

"Yes please!"

I heard Dad walking to my room.

"Angel?" He said, gently.

"Hmm? Oh, hi Daddy!" I said, sleepily.

"Charlie's here. He wants to talk to you." Dad gave me a piggyback ride to the door.

"Hey Penny!" Charlie said, looking excited.

"Hey, Charlie!" I blinked away my sleepiness.

"You've got to see this!" He grabbed my arm.

"Wait!" Dad said, sternly. I looked at him.

"Daddy, may I please go with Charlie?" I asked, batting my eyelashes at him. He contemplated for a bit.

"Oh, all right!" He agreed.

"Yay!" I clapped my hands.

"But, you have to dress warmly and wear your boots," he added.

"Okay," I grumbled, grabbing my puffy jacket and putting it on over my pink princess nightgown. I put my white boots on and Dad put a hat on my head.

"Just remember, be back before morning!" Dad teased.

"I promise!" I said, as Charlie dragged me out the door.

"Okay, Charlie, you dragged me out here in the middle of the night. What am I supposed to see?" I asked, putting my hands on my hips.

"Look up on the roof of my dad's house." He replied, pointing at it. I did so, seeing a sleigh and reindeer.

"Is that-"

"Yep. Santa's sleigh."

"But where's Santa?"

"My dad killed him."

"Oh."

We were silent for a while. Then Charlie said: "Have you ever seen a reindeer up close?" I said I hadn't.

"Well, come on then! Oh, and be careful on the ladder. It's a bit wobbly." Charlie said, as we walked to his house. We climbed up the ladder, and stood on the roof.

"There you are, Charlie! Oh. So Penelope's the someone you 'had to get'?" Scott Calvin asked, somewhat dryly. Charlie nodded, sitting in the front of the sleigh. I moved closer to the reindeer. The one closest to me met my eye and nuzzled me. I giggled, petting its nose.

"Pen-Penelope? Could you step away from the reindeer and go home?" Mr. Calvin asked. I stopped petting the reindeer, but didn't go back home.

"What's wrong?" He sighed.

"The ladder's gone. I can't go back home." I said, walking to the sleigh.

"Well this is just perfect! I've got a reindeer guided sleigh, a Santa suit, and now I'm stuck with two 6 year old kids!" Mr. Calvin said, throwing his hands up. I shrugged, getting into the sleigh. I sat in the front, next to Charlie. He grabbed the reins.

"Charlie, have you done this before?" I asked.

"Nope!" He replied, as the sleigh jerked forward.

"Whoa!" All of us yelled, as the sleigh plummeted down.

"Up! Pull up!" I shouted. Mr. Calvin climbed into the front, making me slide into the side of the sleigh. He took the reins, said something to the driver of a truck next to him, and we soared into the sky. My stomach was in my throat. I clutched to the side of the sleigh, trying not to scream. The sleigh landed on a rooftop. Mr. Calvin got out of the sleigh.

"Well. That was fun," I said, releasing my vice grip from the sleigh.

"Be quiet, Penelope." Mr. Calvin snapped.

"Dad, don't be so mean! She was serious," Charlie chided.

"It's okay. I didn't expect your dad to think that was fun. Besides, I'm used to people telling me to be quiet. My mom especially." No one spoke for a moment.

"Well, enough of that, shouldn't those presents be delivered, Mr. Calvin?" I asked, wiping the tears from my face.

"You want me to go down the chimney, holding a bag of toys, in my _underwear_?" He said, incredulously.

"Not in your underwear, Mr. C. You've gotta put on the suit!" I giggled.

"The suit? I won't put that on!" He sat back in the sleigh, grabbing the reins.

"Let's go home!" He said, raising them.

"What? Why?" Charlie and I asked. He set the reins down and stood up.

"Because this whole thing is stupid!" He replied.

"How come everything I want to do is stupid?" Charlie asked, sadly. Mr. Calvin sighed, getting out of the sleigh.

"I didn't say that," he said to Charlie.

"You didn't _not_ say it either!" I put in.

"Quiet, Penelope!" He shouted at me. I shrank down in the sleigh, my eyes widening. Charlie looked very sad. I went into the back of the sleigh and sat next to the bag of toys. I heard rustling and Mr. Calvin muttering to himself. I said nothing.

"Don't forget the sash, Dad." Charlie mentioned.

"Of course! How silly of me. This completes the whole ensemble." Mr. Calvin said, sarcasm in every word.

"How do I look? Nice?" He asked, modeling the suit. I shrugged.

"Look, Penelope. I'm sorry I yelled at you, okay? Now please stop pouting like a three year old!" He said.

"Is there a list back there?" He asked. I shook my head, giving him the bag. He took it, rising into the air. He yelled as he floated to the chimney. He was sucked down into it. My eyes widened.

"So, is your dad the new Santa?" I asked.

"Guess so, yeah." Charlie replied. Suddenly, I heard a dog bark and an alarm go off. A few seconds later, Mr. Calvin emerged in much the same way that he'd gone in.

"How did it feel, Dad?" Charlie asked.

"It felt like 'America's Most Wanted'!" Mr. Calvin replied, floating back to the sleigh. I yawned, sleepily. I fell asleep, dreaming about nothing in particular. The sound of hammers and loud talking woke me up.

"Wait Dad! Why doesn't Penny join us?" Charlie was asking. I blinked.

" 'Penny'? What's 'Penny'?" An unfamiliar voice inquired.

"Penny's not a 'what'. She's a girl! My best friend, too." Charlie answered.

"Well, I'd love to meet her. That is, if Santa doesn't mind."

"Why would I mind? She's just a kid!"

"Dad, where _is_ Penny?"

I sat up slowly, my hair still messy. I climbed out of the sleigh and looked at the place I was in. I found Charlie nearby. Actually, he found me.

"Charlie, where am I?" I asked, dreamily.

"The North Pole." He said, simply. Everything was like I'd always dreamed it would be: several floors, different machines everywhere, and elves working with smiles on their faces.

"And you were right! My dad _is_ the new Santa! He's talking to Bernard." Charlie explained.

"Who's Bernard?"" I asked, curiously.

"Come on, I'll introduce you to him." He grabbed my hand and ran with me to his dad.

"Dad!" He said, excited.

"Yes, Charlie? Oh wonderful! You found her!" Mr. Calvin said.

"You must be the Penny that Charlie was talking about. I'm Bernard. The Head Elf of the North Pole." I shook his hand, noticing his pointed ears underneath his black curly hair. He had very odd clothes on, but I supposed every elf dressed like him.

"Pleased to meet you, Bernard. And it's Penelope actually. Penelope Halloway."

"Ah, Penelope! Of course! Doesn't your dad call you 'angel'?" Bernard asked.

"Y – yes. But how – "

"Elves are required to know nicknames. It makes putting names on toys easier." Bernard explains, a bit too quickly. I opened my mouth to speak again, but Mr. Calvin put his hand over my mouth.

"Haha, little chatterbox, isn't she?" He smiled at Bernard.

"All right, Santa. Let the poor girl go." Bernard sighed.

"But if I do, she'll start talking again." He replied, exasperated.

"I think you're exaggerating just a bit." Bernard said, amused.

"No. I'm not. The only times she doesn't talk is when she's doing her homework, reading, watching TV, or sleeping." Mr. Calvin said, his hand still over my mouth.

"Hmmpph mmmm mmph mphh mmm mhmph mphhhh hmph mmhph. Mmph mphh hmpmh mmmph hmmmph!" I said, through his hand.

"What?" He asked, releasing me.

"I said: That's only because my mom hates talking to me, and my dad loves to talk. Also, that's the reason why they got a divorce!" Mr. Calvin pointed at me like he was going to say something. But all he did say was: "… Oh." And then he left.

"I'm sorry for your troubles, Penelope." Bernard said, sincerely.

"It's okay. He just doesn't understand. You see, Charlie's my only friend and the only one I really feel comfortable to tell my secrets to."

Bernard looked at me, a softer expression on his face.

"Penelope – Can I call you Penny?" He asked. I nodded.

"Penny, I want you to have something." He opened his leather bag and pulled out a necklace with a beautiful glass pendant on it. He put it around my neck.

"Anytime Charlie's not there, and you want to talk to someone, just hold the pendant and you'll appear here. There are plenty of elves to talk to." He smiled, kindly.

"Thank you, Bernard. I just wish there was something I could give to you." I said, feeling guilty.

"Elves never get gifts." He said, quickly. Something came to me.

"Close your eyes!" I exclaimed. Hesitantly he did. I walked closer to him and, standing on my tiptoes, I kissed his sparkly cheek. I could tell he was surprised. Standing back on the ground and blushing, I told him he could open his eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey all! Sorry about the really long wait. I had to do an AP project for school and got way too busy to update. Anyway, here is the next chapter! Please continue to review, and thanks to everybody who has reviewed so far! You all rock!**

**Chapter 2: The Accident**

Bernard smiled at me. Someone cleared his or her throat. I turned around.

"Judy!" Bernard said, suddenly nervous. Judy was a small elf, but very pretty.

"Bernard." She replied, trying not to smile. "Am I interrupting something?" She asked.

"No!" He said, jumping away from me. "We were- well Penny was- I gave her- then she- now you- whoa, head rush!" Bernard left very quickly, his cheeks bright red.

"So _you're_ Penny?" Judy asked, now smiling.

"Yeah. Look I'm sorry about the-" I began, but she cut me off.

"Don't be. I actually wanted to thank you. See, Bernard's always been a _bit_ on the overpowerish side. An innocent kiss should put him in his place," she said.

"Oh, but we didn't-" I said, and then realized that she was still smiling. I returned her smile.

"Well, the real reason I came here was because of Charlie. He says you're the best storyteller ever." With that, Judy led me to the room where Mr. Calvin and Charlie were.

"Penny!" Charlie said, hugging me.

"Hey Charlie! I've got a great story to tell you." I sat down on the bed.

"A long time ago, there lived a warrior princess. She lived in a magnificent castle and had 2 best friends: a knight and a modern day teen girl. The three of them had glorious adventures together. They won many battles, fought off monsters you can't even begin to dream of, and took back the treasure from thieving pirates. The princess was very happy, but she was grateful that she could always return to her castle every night. Just as long as she knew she would see her best friends and have a new adventure when she woke up." I would have told him more, but I wrapped it up because he had fallen asleep.

"Goodnight, Charlie." I said, before I fell asleep. When I woke up, I was still at the North Pole. Charlie and Mr. Calvin were gone. I sat bolt upright, seeing the two puppets next to the bed in their little box.

They looked at me, covering their faces, and said in unison: "Uh-oh!" I got out of the bed and went to the door.

I wrenched it open, stepping out into the light. Bernard was at the center of the bottom floor. I went to the railing of the balcony.

"What do you _mean_, 'I forgot someone'?" He was asking a small blonde male elf.

"I'm sorry! I just got caught up in the moment and…" The small elf looked up and noticed me.

"Is that her?" He asked Bernard. All the noise stopped at once. Every elf was looking at me. I felt very self-conscious.

"Penny!" Bernard said, louder than he'd meant to. The elves still stared at me. Someone tapped me on my shoulder. I turned around. It was Judy.

"Say something," she whispered.

"Like what?" I whispered back.

"An order." She backed up.

"Uh. As you were?" I said, hesitantly. The noises resumed and the elves went back to their work. Bernard looked at the small elf.

"Find a way to get her home," he said, shortly. The elf put his head in his hands. Bernard walked up the stairs, catching me by my arm.

"Penny, I have to show you something."

Before I could say anything, he brought me to the stable. Not the reindeer stable, the horse stable. There were many horses neighing and snorting. A few vanished suddenly.

"What happened to them?" I asked, amazed and scared.

"Don't worry. They went to people around the world. Whoever wanted a horse this year will get one." Bernard explained.

I walked to a beautiful chocolate brown horse with a white stripe mark on its forehead.

"She's yours, if you want her. She's an Arabian warm blood, but she's just a filly. She's not full size yet." Bernard looked shiftily at the floor.

"She's beautiful! But… I'm only 6 and you've just met me. Why are you giving me so much?" I asked, curiously.

"Because I… I like you." He replied, still looking at the floor.

"But you don't really know me." I stated, absentmindedly stroking the filly's nose. Bernard opened his mouth to speak, but never said what he wanted to because someone called his name. A moment later, the small elf ran in.

"Yes, Evan?" Bernard said, turning to him.

"I know how she can get home!" The small elf (Evan) said, panting slightly.

"All she has to do is take the pendant from an elf made necklace and hold it in her hand. It will bring her back to her home, and it can also bring her back here." Evan leaned against the wall of the stable, catching his breath.

"Sort of like ruby slippers!" I exclaimed.

Bernard and Evan looked at me, confused.

"_Wizard of Oz_?" I waited, but they still looked clueless. "It's a movie where I'm from," I sighed, knowing I couldn't explain the whole point of the ruby slippers to them without questions being asked. "Oh!" They said in unison.

I took the necklace out of my pocket, being careful not to touch the pendant. "So. This is goodbye, then?" Bernard asked. "Not forever, but yes. Besides, my dad's probably worried sick about me." I said, holding the pendant just above the palm of my hand.

"You know, you're lucky Penny. No matter how broken a family is, it's still a family, and you're lucky to have one." Bernard surprised me by the sad look on his face.

"I'll keep that in mind, Bernard." I smiled at him. He suddenly leaned down and kissed my cheek before the pendant slipped into my hand. I appeared in my bedroom. I touched the spot where Bernard had kissed me, and smiled softly.

"Angel?" Dad opened the door. His cheeks were rosy (which told me that he'd been outside), his hair was messy (which told me he'd been running around), and he had circles under his eyes (which told me that he'd been up all night). He picked me up, holding me tight.

"Sweet angel of mine! Thank heavens, you're safe!" His voice was slightly hoarse. I knew he'd been talking all night and shouting my name. I just hoped he'd still let me see Charlie. I decided to keep the North Pole incident to myself because the state of my mind was one less thing for Dad to worry about.

I went and lived with my mother, but she ignored me as usual. I missed Dad. Living with him meant that I was loved. My mother never told me once that she loved me. I didn't think she even wanted me when I had been born. Because the day I was born, she didn't even look at me.

She'd said: "Great. _Another_ problem I have to deal with." With that, she'd given me to Dad.

Dad promised me that once he got the chance, he would take full custody of me and Mom wouldn't have to be "bothered" by my presence anymore. Mom was so caught up in her work that she gave me whatever she thought was quick and easy. So I had a peanut butter sandwich and a glass of milk for dinner.

I had a chocolate pudding cup for dessert and sat by the window, pulling my feet up on my chair. I rested my head on the window. Mom's house was a few miles from Mr. Calvin's (I suppose I should start calling him "Santa").

One night, after my grilled cheese sandwich and bowl of tomato soup, I noticed that blue and red flashing lights lit up the area around Santa's house. I took out a pair of binoculars and focused on his house to see what was happening. My gray eyes widened. The police arrested Santa, and drove off, sirens blaring all the way.

I put the binoculars down. I sighed, shaking my head and went up to my room. Mom hadn't found my necklace, which I'd stashed in my sock drawer. I was tempted to get it, but fell asleep instead. A loud noise woke me up. I sat bolt upright, my hands shaking. I grabbed my coat and slipped my boots on, sneaking out the door. Adjusting my hat, I looked in the sky and saw the strangest sight I'd seen that night.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks to all of my reviewers! You all are the reason why I'm continuing this story! Sorry about the wait. I had to get my giant load of schoolwork out of the way and got a bit overwhelmed. But no worries! Here's the next chapter, and I hope you like it! PM me with any ideas you have.**

**Chapter 3: E.L.F.S. and My Return**

Charlie was flying away with three other elves. One of the elves turned around and landed in front of me. He was dressed in a weird green jumpsuit and had a hat on, not quite covering his pointed ears. I stared at him.

"Hello, Penelope." He said, surprising me.

"How do you-" I began.

"'Penelope'. It's sewn onto your hat. That _is _your hat, isn't it?" He looked slightly concerned.

"Yes, and my name _is_ Penelope." I blushed a bit. Charlie looked down at me.

"We're gonna bust my dad outta jail! Wanna come?" He asked, excitedly.

"_Yes, please!"_ I wanted to say, but I thought about the last time I'd been gone and how worried Dad had been. Instead I said: "I can't. The last time I disappeared really freaked my dad out." Charlie looked devastated. "But I promise I'll come with you next time." I added, quickly.

"Next year?" He asked, eagerly. I giggled.

"We'll see. Good luck, Charlie!" I said, waving to him. He returned my wave. I turned to go back inside, but a hand on my shoulder stopped me.

"Hold on, Penelope. I have something for you."

I turned back to the E.L.F.S. leader (as I later learned he was). He gave me a palm sized **(A/N: I mean like an average adult's hand, not a child's. ^^)** red box and a card with an envelope attached to it.

"It's a Christmas gift to you." He explained. I looked at him. "Well, go on. Open it," he urged me. I opened the envelope first and a small, rectangular piece of paper fell into the snow.

I picked it up, before it got too damaged. It read: "E.L.F.S. Official Card for Special Persons", and included a number at the bottom left hand corner.

"That's our number. Just in case you need bailing out of jail, or just need a lift somewhere." The E.L.F.S. leader smiled at me.

"Thanks. I'll be sure to call if I ever need you guys," I returned his smile, pocketing the card. I opened the letter next. A strange piano melody played from it: soft and unlike anything I'd ever heard before.

"Wow. I haven't heard that tune in years!" The E.L.F.S. leader said, distantly.

"What?" I said, looking up from the inscription.

"It's- it's an elf tune. One of the very first ones too. Oh, and there's an infinite amount of battery power in that letter. So, if you open it in 50 years, it'll still play like it's brand new! Cool, huh?" He said, grinning. I nodded, and continued reading the inscription. It read: _"To my dear friend Penelope, may you always keep the kid in your heart and stay beautiful. Just like this tune. Bernard."_

I undid the bow on the box and gently opened the lid. I frowned, confused. Nothing was inside except a velvet box. I tried to open it, but it was locked and no key was included.

"I guess I'll have to ask Bernard where the key is," I figured.

"Good luck with that," the E.L.F.S. leader said, sincerely.

I nodded in response. After the E.L.F.S. and Charlie flew away, I went back to my mom's house. I was still holding the box and letter. Charlie never told me what happened to his dad, but I didn't care. I believed that Mr. Calvin was, and still is, Santa Claus.

Ten years later, I was in my dad's attic. I noticed a glint out of the corner of my eye. I walked over to it, and gently picked up the cord. The pendant was very dusty, seeing as how no one had touched it in ten years, but I still recognized it. Smiling, I called the one person I knew would believe me.

"Hello?" He said, groggily.

"Rise and shine, Charlie! I found it." I said, unable to wipe the smile off of my face.

"I'll be right there," he replied, fully awake. It was spring, and my hair was elbow length and wavy. I was wearing a white shirt and a ruffle blue skirt that went down to my knees. A few moments later, Charlie came into the attic.

"Okay, you woke me up at 3 in the morning, on a Saturday, because you found your necklace?" He said, rubbing his eyes.

"Yeah. I want to see if it really _does_ do what Bernard had promised it would." I was thinking back to ten years ago, when we'd first met.

"Penny?" Charlie said, snapping me out of my dreamlike state.

"Do you want to come with me?" I asked, blinking. He was taken aback, but nodded. "Hold my hand," I said, offering it to him. He took it, gently. With my other hand, I grabbed the pendant. The attic melted away in a second. In its place, Santa's Workshop appeared.

"Whoa! It really _does_ work!" Charlie and I said together. I hugged him, not knowing why.

"Well, well, well. Who do we have here?" A familiar voice asked, causing us to break apart.

"Um, hi Bernard." Charlie said, awkwardly.

"Hello, Charlie." Bernard replied, curtly. "Who's your friend?" He asked, noticing me. I stepped out from behind Charlie, the light glinting off the pendant.

"Hello Bernard. Miss me?" I asked, smiling at him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey all! I'm back from another year at high school, and wow! It's almost the Fourth of July. I'm not keeping up with the date… Anyways, instead of hearing me rambling on and on, here's the next chapter! Enjoy!**

**Chapter 4: Breaking up is so overrated!**

"P-Penny?" Bernard stuttered, before quickly regaining his composure. "How have you been?" I asked, pretending not to have noticed his shaky voice. He cleared his throat, "I've been well. You?" He said this politely enough, though he didn't really looking at me.

"Well…" My voice trailed away as Charlie gently nudged me. He whispered something to me. "Yeah, I was just about to say that. Don't worry!" I said to him, in a near-whisper. "Um, Bernard?" I turned around to face the Head Elf.

"Present and listening, Penny!" He half-grinned at me. I fought back the urge to laugh. "Don't get upset. Keep in mind, it has been 10 years." I waited for a moment. Bernard stayed silent. "Well," I began again. "Well?" He prompted me.

I took a deep breath. "Two years ago, Charlie asked me out. We went to watch the sunset over the lake, and something… clicked." I felt next to me for Charlie's hand. He held it out and I took it. "About a week later, he asked me to be his girlfriend and I said yes. We've been together ever since." I paused, surveying Bernard's face.

He had an odd mixture of hatred and sadness in his eyes. His complexion remained amused. I was afraid to speak. After a long silence, apart from the noises of the Workshop, Bernard spoke. "Allow me to offer my belated congratulations to you both. I'm sure you'll be very happy together. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must return to my elf duties." He left without another word.

"He took that better than I thought!" I remarked, astonished at what'd just happened. Charlie looked at me. "What?" I asked. "You never got around to telling me what happened between you two the last time you were here." He replied, simply. "Long story short, one thing led to another and I kissed his cheek." I widened my eyes at Charlie's reaction.

He seemed angry all of a sudden. "But I was only 6, Charlie! I don't feel the same way now as I did then." I took his other hand, and locked eyes with him. "I love you, Charlie. That's the truth, okay?" I said this in a gentle, but sincere tone. He relaxed and kissed me.

"Whoa! Did I walk in on something?" A familiar jolly voice remarked, amused. "Santa!" We broke apart. I hugged him and noticed something very odd. My confusion must have shown because Charlie took me aside at once. "Pen, are you all right? You have that look on your face again." He arched an eyebrow at me as I nodded.

"Okay, fine! I'm concerned about your father. I mean, look at him!" I whispered, pointing with the slightest movement of my eyes in his direction. Santa was busy checking a list with an elf. "What about him?" Charlie said, slightly louder than he'd intended to.

"Keep your voice down!" I hissed, as Santa looked up at us from the list. We smiled at him and he shrugged, looking back down. The smile vanished from my face as Charlie and I resumed our conversation. "He's looking… Younger. Haven't you noticed that? His beard is shorter and he's thinner." I sighed.

"Yes. I've noticed, but what's the big deal?" He said, careful not to raise his voice again. "I don't know. Should we ask him?" I saw a shadow loom over us. We looked up, slowly. "Hey, Santa!" I said, calming myself.

"And just what are you two talking about?" He had a twinkle in his eyes. "Nothing!" We said, a bit too quickly. He raised an eyebrow. "Fine, you caught us!" I sighed, again.

He waited while Charlie stared at me in disbelief. I gave him a meaningful look and he stopped. "The truth is… Charlie and I are concerned about you." I could tell my words surprised Santa. His eyebrows raised and he looked both ways before he brought us into his "office". He shut the door behind him.

"Why are you worried about me?" He asked, the twinkle gone from his eyes. I tell him what I'd told Charlie moments ago about his appearance. To my complete surprise and confusion, along with Charlie, Santa nodded. "I knew I'd be asked that sooner or later. Well, you kids deserve to know the truth." He sat down behind his wooden desk, pushing aside a large book.

"And here it is: I've gotta find a wife before this Christmas Eve, or I won't get to be Santa anymore. Just plain old Scott Calvin again. As you can see, the 'De-Santafication' process has already begun." He sighed, heavily. I realized that my mouth was slightly opened. I closed it. "Penny, for once in your life, I give you permission to speak." Santa said, raising his eyes to me.

I bit my lip, "Well, if you need to find a wife before Christmas Eve, would it be all right with you if Charlie and I helped you?" Santa's whole face brightened and he pushed back his chair, walked around his desk, and gave me a giant hug. "I'll take that as a 'yes'." I said, slightly muffled. Charlie hid a smile before I grabbed him and he joined the hug.

"So. What's that?" Santa broke off the hug. "It's a pendant that allows me to visit the North Pole when I want to." I said, in a would be casual voice. "Where did you get that?" He asked, while Charlie tensed. "Um… It was a gift to me from one of your elves." I continued on with the same voice as before.

Santa paused for a moment. "Can it bring all of us back home?" He asked. "Yeah. At least, to the last place I was before I came here." I breathed out in relief. "Okay, let's go then!" Charlie said. "Wait just a second, all of you," Bernard said, leading another elf in.

The new elf was short and slightly stocky, with a pair of round glasses on his face. He had light brown hair and was wearing a red hat. It contrasted with his green uniform. "Who's this?" I asked, naturally curious. "No one." Bernard said, shortly. I raised my eyebrows and put up my hands, "Sorry I asked!" "Hey, that's no way to talk to a beautiful lady!" The elf scolded Bernard, walking forward before anyone could stop him.

"Sorry about him. He's tweaked about something, and he's been taking it out on everyone who's bothered talking to him. Especially me." The elf held out his hand. "I'm Curtis." He smiled at me. I returned his smile, pleased. "I'm Penelope. More commonly known as 'Penny'. It's a real pleasure meeting you, Curtis!"

"Oooohhhhh. So _you're_ Penny!" Curtis looked back at Bernard and stifled a laugh. Before I could say anything else, Charlie spoke up. "What was so important that you had to barge in unannounced like that, Bernard?" He said this in a slightly cooler tone than was necessary.

"It's my duty as Head Elf to tell you that the pendant can only be used by one or two people. It can't exceed that number of people, or it won't work." Bernard replied, simply. I noticed that he avoided my eyes. "How would you know that?" Santa asked, suspiciously.

We all looked at him. "Only the Keeper of the pendant would have that much knowledge about it. Seeing as how Penny is the Keeper, the only other person to know would be the maker of the pendant. Unless…" He suddenly smiled.

"Unless what?" We asked, in unison. "Unless the maker of the pendant told the elf who gave the pendant to Penny how one uses it, and that elf told you. Then you passed that information to Penny, which is how she now knows how to work the pendant. The other possibility is that _you_ both made the pendant for her to use and you gave it to her, Bernard. I don't know about anyone else, but I'm guessing that's the case." Santa looked at Bernard, the twinkle back in his eyes.

Charlie and Curtis looked back at Bernard and me. A light blush appeared on my cheeks. "It _was_ you, wasn't it?" Curtis asked Bernard, gleefully. "All right! I _did_ give Penny the pendant. But she didn't use it until tonight!" He replied, his face slightly pink.

"That's true. Why didn't you use it?" Santa asked. I desperately wanted to end the awkward conversation, especially seeing the look on Charlie's face. "Look, aren't we all forgetting the whole point of this meeting? Forget about the pendant and let's focus on Santa's dilemma!" I'd struck a spark of interest.

"Fair enough. Curtis, will you assist me in getting that magnifying glass?" Santa asked, walking to the door. "Of course!" He smiled and followed Santa. "Charlie, would you come too? I want to talk to you anyway. Stay here Penny." Santa said, while Charlie waved goodbye to me. I shrugged and waved back.

The door closed behind them. The fire crackled merrily as Bernard and I stood in an awkward silence. "So." He began. "So," I echoed. "So… you and Charlie?" He asked, looking at me. I couldn't resist the urge to tease him. "If I didn't know better, I'd say there's a note of jealousy in your voice, Bernard," I said, a playful look in my eyes and smile.

"You wouldn't be far off, Penny. But I was wondering something." The door being opened cut him off. Santa, Curtis, and Charlie led in a giant magnifying glass. "What's this for?" I asked, amused. "So you can read _this_!" Santa said, putting up a large, window sized magnifying glass and telling Curtis to hold a piece of paper.

"Look at what I found when I was double checking the 'Naughty and Nice' list." Santa panted a bit, wiping his brow with a handkerchief. A feeling of trepidation came over me. I looked through the glass and saw a bunch of names beginning with the letter "P". I found my name and gasped as I read the title: "Naughty".

"How did you end up there?" Charlie asked, along with Bernard. "I don't know," I said, honestly not remembering doing anything wrong. "But I do," Santa said, frowning. We all looked at him. "You did it in self defense, but you still did it. You and Charlie had a disagreement, didn't you?" He looked at me. I bit my lip, remembering.

"Yes. You see, there was a girl at school named Charlie Rainey. Everyone knew that she likes to bully other girls. She cornered me one day after school and demanded me to tell her what I was keeping secret. I refused, so she hit me. Charlie heard my cry and pulled her away from me. He comforted me, like any good boyfriend, and he wanted to know what had brought that on. I told him it was because I was involved in a charity for school. Sort of a 'Secret Santa' thing, and then he got really angry with me. I guess it was because I didn't tell him. One thing led to another and we did have a fight, but no punches were thrown. Hurtful words were exchanged, but that's all. I swear!" I looked up from the floor and met everyone's stare.

"So you guys are walking on eggshells, aren't you?" Santa said. "Yeah. We are." I held back my tears. "So that's why this year is tough for you?" Charlie said, appearing beside me. I nodded. "I'm sorry I was so harsh with you that day. I wasn't thinking straight." He sounded sincere.

"And I'm sorry that I lied to you. About everything." I let a tear slip down my cheek. He hugged me, and I felt the pendant in my hand. We disappeared, but not before I heard Santa say: "See you around!"

Charlie and I were back in my attic, still hugging. "What do we do now?" I asked, wiping my tears away. "Do you want a break?" He said, tentatively. "Only if you want to." I said. "It sucks, seeing as how the holidays are so near, but I think it's for the best." He replied, sadly.

"But we'll still stay friends, right?" I said, hopefully. "Of course. I wouldn't want to break that off!" He smiled at me. "Okay, I'll see you then?" I said. "Yeah. I'll see you." He turned and went back down the stairs. I could hear the door closing behind him, and saw him walk away to his mom's house.

I placed the pendant back on the box and broke down completely.


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay, so I've been a bit busy with a lot of things, but I'm back and ready to give you all my work. So, enjoy this next chapter. I must warn you that the end result will be surprising ;) **

**Chapter 5: The Three-Month Bet**

Dad knocked on my door that night, but I refused to open it. "Angel? You've been in there for two hours. Is everything all right?" He asked, concerned. I sniffed, wiping my tears away. I got up and finally opened the door. He came in. Upon seeing my red puffy eyes, he embraced me.

There was no need for me to tell him what had happened. Even when I didn't know what to say, Dad did. "I'm so sorry, my sweet angel. Do you want any of my famous hot cocoa to help ease your pain?" He looked at me. I sniffed again and nodded.

He kissed the top of my head and left me alone. Suddenly, pressure pounded in my ears. After Charlie broke up with me, I hadn't realized how upset I really was. I felt anger boiling inside of me. Then I remembered the real reason why I'd decided to return. I calmed myself down.

I'd promised to help Santa find a wife, and I wasn't gonna let a breakup get in my way. Dad returned to my room. The pounding in my ears had subsided, as I sipped my hot cocoa. It warmed me up from the inside out. I smiled in content. Dad kissed my forehead and left again.

Dad's hot chocolate included cinnamon in the mixture, with whipped cream on top and warm chocolate syrup drizzled on the very top. He also stuck a cinnamon stick in for that extra spice. It was much like any other hot cocoa, but it was special because he only made it when one of us was feeling down.

As I drank, I looked out of my window. A shooting star flew across the sky. I closed my eyes and made a wish. I opened my eyes and sighed. "It probably won't come true." I said to myself. I'd never been so wrong.

The next morning, I woke up early. So early that the sun hadn't even come up yet. I rolled over in my bed, wondering what had woken me up. I blinked rapidly. I saw that my door was open. My brow furrowed because I knew I'd closed it last night. I looked at my alarm clock. It was 5:30 a.m. and it was two months before Christmas Day.

I got up, grabbing my empty mug. I'd thrown away the cinnamon stick at midnight. I went downstairs, wearing my large tee shirt and shorts. My chestnut brown hair was down to the middle of my back now. I heard a dish being taken out and the fridge opening.

As silently as I could, I grabbed the handle of something. I crept into the kitchen. I stopped because I couldn't see the face of whoever was looking into the fridge. I grasped the handle firmly and raised my weapon. "Whoever you are, you'd better have a good reason why you're inside my father's house this early in the morning!" I prepared to use my weapon.

The fridge closed quickly and the light was turned on. Bernard stood, surprised, with a loaf of bread in one hand and the bag of lettuce in the other. "Penny! What's with the mug and umbrella?" He asked, setting down the items in his hands. "Bernard!" I was equally surprised, but relieved. I set down my mug and umbrella.

"I thought you were a burglar! I was about to use this." I gestured to the umbrella on the ground. He smiled. "I probably wouldn't have been hurt much," he said, amused. I frowned, knowing he was teasing me. "So, you've only answered one of my questions." He said, sincerely. "Okay. The mug was because…" I took a deep breath. "Charlie and I broke up yesterday, and I was upset so my dad made me a cup of hot chocolate to cheer me up. Then I saw a shooting star, made a wish and fell asleep soon afterwards until I woke up ten minutes ago and came down here to where you were." I inhaled sharply, having said all this very fast and in one breath.

Bernard stood still for a while. Then he took a breath, looked at me in utter confusion, and said: "What?" I grunted in exasperation. "Long story short, the mug was because I had hot chocolate last night due to the fact that I was upset. Are you following me?" I said, still a bit quickly. "Yeah. But I didn't quite get why you were so upset." He explained.

"Charlie broke up with me yesterday." I said, shortly. The confusion on Bernard's face went away in a flash. "Can I do anything to help you feel better?" He asked, not really knowing what to say. I smiled, sadly. "You're very sweet, Bernard, but you don't need to do anything." A tear fell down my cheek, though.

Bernard stood there, awkwardly. Another tear escaped. "I'm sorry," I said, wiping the tears away. "Don't be. Crying isn't a crime, Penny. Even _I_ cry, sometimes." He smiled at me, kindly. I chuckled softly, and hugged him. He was surprised by this sudden show of affection, and wasn't sure where to put his hands. He settled by hugging me around my middle.

The sun began to rise as I broke off the hug. My face was shining with tears. "Sorry about your shirt, Bernard." I said, sniffing. "It's all right. I didn't really like this shirt anyways." He smiled at me again. I returned his smile. "Okay, the only way to make you feel better would be to make a bet." He insisted.

I laughed, "And why would I do that?" "For bragging rights, of course." He winked at me. I laughed again. "All right. Why don't you start off the bet?" He said. "Okay…" I paused.

"I bet that you'll fall in love with me within a month of you being here and you won't fit in the first day you go to my school. Also, you'll need all of my help to act like a human, which will cause a rumor to be spread that _you_ won't be able to stop. And all this will happen a month before Santa finds a wife." I folded my arms across my chest and raised my eyebrows at him.

He smirked at me, knowing I felt better. "Fair enough. Now, my turn. My bet with you is that you won't make it a day with me as your neighbor. Both in school and out. Oh, and you'll fall in love with me despite your doubts. To top it all off, you'll be intrigued to prove yourself to everyone at your school but you'll be shamed by some rumor that'll spread like a wildfire. And all this will happen a month before Santa finds a wife." He imitated me, folding his arms across his chest and raising his eyebrows at me.

"Deal!" I said, shaking his hand. "Now no backing out of the deal. And the first to win, wins everything!" Bernard said. "And that will be me!" I teased him. "Dream on, Pen," he returned, also teasing me. "School starts tomorrow at 7 a.m. See you then, Bernie!" I smiled at him.

He saluted me and left, holding a sandwich in his hand. I put the bread and other items away. The grandfather clock chimed 7 in the morning. I sighed and decided to go to talk to my friend Eloise Martin. She opened the door and her long blonde hair fluttered in the wind.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: The Kiss**

Her face brightened as she saw me.

"Hey, Nelly!" She said, in her slightly high-pitched voice. Eloise was very pretty, with her curly blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes. No one would suspect that a girl like her would be so into hard rock music and Karate. But she was. She had a black belt in Karate. Very often, we would do Karaoke at a school function, and laugh about it afterwards.

She was a very supportive friend, and so didn't berate me as I told her what had happened between Charlie and me the previous day.

"I'm so sorry, Nelly! I never would have thought that Charlie would break up with you like that." She hugged me.

"It's okay. I'm getting over him as each hour goes by." I sighed, glad I didn't tell her about the North Pole or Santa.

"Well… What about that guy you met, like, 10 years ago? You know, after your mom started to combine businesses with my daddy?"

"Yes, Elle. I know. We became inseparable after that!" I smiled at her.

"Oh, what was his name? You know what, you probably remember it better than I do." Eloise leaned forward. I blushed.

"You mean Bernard?" I said, now very red in the face.

"Ooo! Have you seen him again?" She asked, giggling.

"Yes. He… dropped by this morning." I was still very red.

"Did you kiss him?" She said, waiting.

"What?! Gosh, no! We just talked and he made a bet with me. And he said he'd be at school tomorrow. You'll meet him then." I smiled, thinking of how Bernard would look tomorrow.

"Nelly, will Sarah and Jason also meet him?" She asked.

"Elle, if _you_ meet him, you can be sure they will too!" I smiled at her. Sarah Teal and Jason Waters were my other two best friends. We'd met when I was 8. Eloise had introduced us. Sarah had light brown hair, which contrasted with her tan skin and bright green eyes. Jason had jet-black hair and brown eyes. He looked like a lost puppy, and no one but us knew he was a huge Superman fan. We often called him Clark Kent because of his obsession.

"Speaking of them…" Eloise stopped talking as her door opened again.

"Hello girls!" Jason said, embracing us. Jason didn't look like he was awake yet. He was wearing a sweater and sweatpants. He had his hair all over the place, and was wearing his usual square glasses.

"Since it's a Saturday… I brought Sarah, and she looks okay. Although I _do_ applaud her for wearing a Superman Tee shirt." Jason laughed at the mutinous look on Sarah's face. She was teasing him though because she joined our laughter.

"Okay, Clark Kent! What are you going to do for getting a girl to notice you this year?" Sarah said, in her best valley girl impression.

"The usual. Nothing at all!" He said, grabbing her shoulder. She screamed in surprise.

We all laughed again.

"Oh, you _guys_! My make up's running!" Eloise complained.

"Someone call 9-1-1!" I said, in mock concern.

"Stop the presses!" Sarah gasped, in equal mock surprise.

"Oh no! Anything but the make-up! Take me instead!" Jason pretended to swoon. Sarah and I caught him.

"We knew him well!" I said, pretending to cry.

"Indeed we did!" Sarah put a hand dramatically on her forehead, palm facing out. "Tragic! Jason Waters died to save Eloise Martin's make-up!" Sarah and I chorused together.

"Oh, shut up!" Eloise snapped, although she smiled.

A moment later, I told Sarah and Jason what I'd told Eloise. I left out the parts I wanted to keep secret. Afterwards there was a moment's pause.

"Oh. My. Gosh! That's absolutely amazing!" Sarah said, embracing me. I was so surprised that I fell out of my chair. Sarah was still hugging me and laughing.

"Look out below!" Jason shouted, as he tackled Sarah and me. Eloise gave a yell and latched onto all of us.

"Guys! I can't breathe!" I said, through my laughter.

We heard the door open again. With a small scream we all broke apart. It was Charlie.

"Uh, hey there Char!" Jason said, getting off the floor.

"Hi, guys!" Charlie saw me and his smile faltered. I bit my lip.

Sarah looked at Eloise and whispered: "Awkward!"

"So, you two have a lot to catch up on. We'll be in the kitchen, Nelly." Eloise grabbed Sarah and Jason, and went into the kitchen. After a long pause, Charlie and I spoke together.

"Look, I'm sorry about what happened," we said in unison. I stopped talking.

"Pen, I'm sorry that things ended the way we did. I never meant to hurt you. I know it probably doesn't mean much to you, but-" Charlie was cut-off by me.

"Just don't," I said.

"Penelope-" Charlie stopped again by the door opening.

Mr. Martin came in.

"Hello, Penelope. Hello Charlie. Always a pleasure to see you two." He smiled at us.

"Actually, I was just leaving Mr. Martin." Charlie nodded at me and then left.

"What's going on?" Mr. Martin asked.

"Charlie and I broke up yesterday," I explained.

I took a deep breath and went into the kitchen. Eloise looked up from a card game that Sarah and Jason had started.

"Hey, Nelly! Did Charlie go home?" Sarah asked.

"Yes, and your dad's here, Elle." I threw a pillow at Jason. He fell out of his chair.

"Oh please! It's a pillow, not a piece of Kryptonite!" Sarah said, rolling her green eyes.

"Ha ha, very funny!" Jason said, getting up from the floor again.

"Well, I hate to be a downer, but I've gotta go. Daddy's gonna take me out to lunch and I hate to make him wait. See you later, then?" I said to them.

"_Duh!_ Of _course_ you will," Sarah and Eloise said.

"For sure!" Jason said, although he had a sort of accent on the words so it sounded like: "Fur shoer!"

I left, and ran into someone.

"Hi there, Santa!" I said, then did a double-take. Santa's beard had turned almost grey and he was thinning out faster than I'd expected.

"Hey, Penelope! How're you doing?" He asked, looking as jolly as he could.

"Um, I'm fine. But you're… Thinner?" I said, faintly.

"Yeah. Oh, and it's a month and a half before Christmas now. You're calendar is a week off." He said.

"Oh my, that means-" I stopped talking.

"So, you and Bernard made a bet?" Santa said.

"Yeah. It was kinda stupid, but I thought it was good at the time." I blushed.

"Look, Penny," Santa took me off to the side. We sat down on a park bench.

"It's okay to be scared of something. Trust me, I'm scared to find a wife!" At this we both laughed a bit.

"Santa, I'm not _scared_ of liking… someone. I'm just-" I caught his twinkling eye, and blushed again.

"You're afraid of change, aren't you?" He said.

"No." I looked at my hands, clasped in my lap.

"And yes. I'm not afraid because I'll have someone who I might really love. But, at the same time, I'm afraid of getting hurt again." I said this, and a tear ran down my face.

Santa's eyes stopped twinkling.

"Charlie broke up with you, didn't he?" He asked. I nodded.

"Well, it's his loss." Santa said, sincerely. I looked up from my feet.

"You know, Charlie always talked about you. He said you were the best girlfriend he's ever had! Then again, you were the _only_ girlfriend he's ever had. But I did love seeing you together because you reminded me of how I was with the first woman _I_ loved." Santa smiled at me.

I returned his smile.

"Besides, think of how Bernard will react when he finds out you're in love with him!" Santa winked at me. I gasped in shock.

"I'm _not_ in love with him!" I shook my head, "No. Way."

"You are as stubborn as you were when you were 7." Santa got off the bench.

He was thinner now then ever, and his beard was now just scruffy.

"I know, I know! But, Santa, I refuse to admit to Bernard that I _might_ like him. I certainly don't _love_ him, though!" I folded my arms across my chest.

"You know, you'll have a time getting _him_ to admit that _you've_ won! I swear, you and him were meant to be!" Santa winked at me again. I let out a disbelieving noise.

"Now, Penny! With that attitude, you're sure to be on the naughty list forever!" He tapped his nose. I wrinkled my nose like I always do when I feel sassy. He patted my head, and got up.

"So, you ready to go, Penny?" He asked.

I nodded again. Santa walked me back to my dad's house.

"There you are! I was wondering where you'd run off to!" He embraced me. Santa said goodbye to me and left. Dad blinked rapidly.

"Was that-? No, impossible!" He decided. I smiled and shook my head.

The next morning, I woke up at 6. I stretched and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. I took a shower and wrapped a towel around me. As I stood by my closet door, still wrapped in my towel, I heard the front door open.

"Hello, Mr. Halloway. My name is Bernard."

I froze at this.

"Hello, Bernard. What exactly are you doing here?" I heard my father say.

"Well, um… I, uh, met your daughter some years ago."

"_Did_ you now? She's never mentioned someone like you."

"I'm sorry, sir. _What's_ wrong with me?" Bernard sounded offended and defensive at the same time.

"Fair question, Bernie!" I said, coming down the stairs wearing a tight fitted long sleeve blue shirt and white jeans.

"Penelope! You look, uh, great!" Bernard gave a nervous chuckle.

I hid a smile.

"Angel, you _do _know this boy?" Dad asked.

"Yeah. He's a dear friend of mine. He's not from around here, so he dresses funny. I'll be sure to help him blend in, though." I smiled at both of them. Bernard narrowed his eyes and shook his head at me. Dad gave a small chuckle and went into the kitchen.

Bernard glared at me.

"Hey, I just saved you from getting thrown out! You should be thanking me!" I said, folding my arms.

"Fine! Thanks for absolutely _nothing_! You haven't done anything to help me, yet." He still glared at me.

"If that's your attitude, then good luck at school today!" I flipped my hair over my shoulder, and turned to go into the kitchen.

"Wait, wait, wait, _wait_ just a moment!" Bernard grabbed me roughly by the arm.

"_Ouch!_" I said in protest.

"Oh, sorry!" Bernard was sincere.

He released the pressure on my arm.

"Thanks, but can you let me go?" I asked.

"Not until I tell you this… I _do_ need your help, okay?" He looked imploringly at me.

"Fine. But _if_ I do this, _and_ you wind up falling in love with me… Then I win the bet!" I said, freeing myself.

"Keep in mind, my end is still there as well!" Bernard retorted.

I rolled my eyes and threw an outfit at him. He changed in the bathroom.

"Elf clothes, Bernard. Give!" I said, through the crack in the door. He threw them out.

"Okay, then. I guess that settles things." I said, my back to the door.

"Really?" He said, opening the door so fast that I fell backwards.

"Whoa, careful now!" He caught me.

"Thanks!" I said, happily.

I did a double take as I saw Bernard in his full outfit. He looked very handsome. "Uh, you look very nice." I said, blushing a bit.

"So one part of your bet came true. _And _one part of mine. You didn't last a day with me as your neighbor. We already had our first fight." He smirked at me. I grimaced, then I smiled.

"Okay, fair enough. Now for the other two parts!" I said getting up and flipping my hair in his face.

"Okay you two troublemakers! Breakfast time!" Dad held out two trays piled with breakfast items. I looked at Bernard. He shrugged.

"Well, you _do_ clean up nicely!" Dad said, smiling. I laughed.

We caught the bus to school.

"So, what do you guys do in school?" Bernard asked. He was getting funny looks and laughs because he still had his hat on. I quickly took it off of him and threw it into my backpack. His curly hair covered his ears perfectly.

"Uh, try _not_ to be noticed for one thing!" I snapped. Eloise sat next to Sarah and Jason plopped down next to Daphne Laurel. Daphne was the head cheerleader and one of my close friends. She had long red hair and brown eyes, and light tan skin. We got to school and I marched off the bus.

Bernard followed me.

"Okay, granted that you must shadow me-" Bernard cut me off.

"You're not backing out of the deal, are you?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. Daphne spotted me and grabbed my arm.

"Oooooohh! Who's the hottie?" She asked, in her silky voice.

"Daph, he's just someone that…" I stopped talking as I noticed Charlie.

"He's an old friend of Charlie Calvin's. I met him 9 years ago, and something just… _happened_." I said, being careful not to speak too quickly.

"_Sure_ he is!" She smiled at me.

"Oh, shut up!" I snapped.

"Fine. If you _really_ don't care about him, then you wouldn't mind me doing _this_!" She marched over to Bernard.

"Daph_ne_!" I whispered, running after her.

I was too late, and stopped in my tracks. Daphne was flirting with Bernard. I sighed.

"Daph, it's time for Geometry. Let's go!" I said, as Eloise found us.

"Elle!" Daphne squealed and hugged her tight.

I introduced Bernard to Eloise and Daphne. Someone grabbed me from behind and spun me around. I started laughing as the person set me back down.

"Morning to you too, Jay!" I said, still laughing.

A shadow went across Bernard's face.

"Oh, sorry! Bernard, this is Jason Waters. Jason, this is my friend Bernard." I explained. Jason held out his hand. Bernard looked at it and shook it.

"Nice to meet you!" Jason said.

Sarah came over suddenly, and glomped me.

"AHHH! Oh, hi Sarah." I said, getting over my shock.

"Nelly, I'm so freaking happy right now! You won't believe it!" She let out a cute giggle.

"What? Did Trey ask you out?" I said. "Yes!" She squealed and I did too.

"Sorry, I'm neglecting you again!" I turned to Bernard.

"Bernard, Sarah Teal. Sarah, Bernard." I said.

"Oh… You never mentioned that he's _hot_!" She said, winking at me.

Everyone laughed, except Bernard. He was surprised. I blushed deep red.

"Go on, then. Do what you've been wanting to," Eloise nudged me. The first bell rang.

"No! I made a bet I wouldn't!" I said, folding my arms.

"Oh, come _on_ Penelope Halloway! I know and _you_ know that you've wanted to kiss him for over 10 years!" Eloise said.

"And I do too!" Sarah butted in as we went to Geometry together.

"Okay, okay! I'll do it next month!" I said.

"Next month is in seven weeks!" Sarah said with Daphne.

"Fine!" I pouted. Pretty soon a rumor spread around the school, and I knew I had to put a stop to it. The rumor was that Bernard and I were secretly in love with each other.

It wasn't half off. I never admitted it, and neither did Bernard, but we had fallen for each other. In time, we forgot about the bet. A month before Santa would find a wife, Bernard asked me a question.

"So, Penny… About the bet…" He stopped talking.

"You know what? Forget about it!" I kissed him flat on the mouth. His eyes widened, but then he kissed me back.


	7. Chapter 7

**After a fast paced few weeks of school, I finally got inspired! Enjoy the next chapter and review please!**

**Chapter 7: One Step Forward…**

I broke off the kiss widening my eyes and I covered my mouth with my hands. "Sorry!" I said, blushing a little.

"No, it's all right. I didn't mind actually." Bernard smiled at me. He took my hands in his, and kissed me again. We wrapped our arms around each other as we continued to kiss.

"Hey!" A familiar voice said, breaking us apart. I gasped and lowered my gaze.

"Bernard, meet my music teacher Mr. Edwards. He doesn't approve of PDA." My heart was in my throat.

"Penelope, don't forget about that composition you were going to give me last hour." Mr. Edwards narrowed his brown eyes at me.

"Here it is." I dug it out of my backpack and gave it to him. He scanned it. I bit my lip, but was surprised to see him smile. I looked up from my scuffed brown dress shoes.

"This is very well written, Penelope. As a matter of fact, I'd like to feature this at our annual Winter Gala with your permission."

"Seriously? I'd be honored, thank you so much, Mr. Edwards!" I laughed.

"Now, get to class both of you." He left. Bernard looked at me.

"I composed the melody from the gift you gave me."

"That was ten years ago!"  
>"I know, but I love it so much that I want to share it with everyone. Isn't that why you gave it to me?"<br>"It _is_ your song." He walked me to my last class of the day. I kissed him before I went inside. Eloise and Sarah giggled.

"Nelly's got a boyfriend!" Daphne sung under her breath.

"We're not official yet, so shut it." I snapped.

"All right class, settle down and take out your Chem books. Turn to page 269." Mrs. Kryte said. Some boys laughed.

"Will Green, time for your presentation." She cleared a spot off for him. He groaned but went up anyways. He winked his blue eye at me, ruffling his blonde hair and straightened his red flannel shirt that went well with his faded blue jeans and tan boots. I rolled my eyes as I prepared for my presentation. After class, Bernard offered to walk me home.

"Sure! See you later, guys!" I waved to Jason, Sarah, and Eloise. They returned my wave.

"I've been thinking Penny, and I was wondering if you'd go out with me? You know, to the dance that's next week." He asked.

"Hmm… I'll have to ask my dad first, but I'd like to see a movie tonight. Care to join me?"

"Which movie?"

"It's a sad romantic movie, but I love it. I guess it's because I wanted to have that kind of love with someone." I looked at him.

"You're not going to tell me the title, are you?" He raised an eyebrow at me.  
>"Nope!" I laughed.<p>

"Fine, I'll be at your place around 7:30."

"Cool, see you then! Oh, and I hope you'll be hungry, my dad's cooking." I kissed him goodbye and he left for Charlie's house, which is where he's been for the past few months. It was just too weird to live with another guy for me so he willingly left.

"Daddy, I'm home!" I called out, opening the door. I heard a crash from the kitchen.

"Hi, angel!" He poked his head out. He was holding a frying pan.

"What's with the frying pan?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. He looked at it and shrugged.

"I was cooking." He explained.

"Is something burning?"  
>"No, just the ribs cooking! That's the surprise."<br>"Awesome! Oh, dad, is it cool with you if Bernard comes over? We're going to watch a movie here."

"Just a few months ago, I would have said no, but all right. Has he asked you to the dance yet?"

"Yeah, but I haven't told him my answer."

"You don't have to be afraid, angel. You have my permission to go." Dad kissed my forehead before he opened the oven. A cloud of smoke filled the room. I quickly opened a window. The smoke flowed out. About an hour later, I emerged from my room wearing a knee length cotton light blue dress and my hair was in gentle curls. The doorbell rang and I answered it. Bernard stared at me as I took in his outfit. He was wearing a white dress shirt and blue jeans.

"Hey, Bernie, you look great!" I smiled, letting him in.

"I can't compare to you, Penny. You look beautiful!"

"Oh, you!" I nudged him with my shoulder. He grinned before we went to the dining room to eat. Afterwards, we made our way to the living room where the TV was mounted on the wall.

"So, what movie are we watching?" Bernard asked, sitting in the chair across from me.

"You'll see." I put the movie in the DVD player and sat on the couch. The title flashed across the screen.

"'The Notebook'?" Bernard asked, looking at me. I shrugged innocently.

Dad brought in popcorn and lemonade about half an hour into the movie. At this point, Bernard was sitting by me. I didn't say anything, but by the time the movie was halfway done, I felt his arm around me. I rested my head on his chest and felt him tense up for a minute. I heard his heartbeat rise before he took a breath to relax. His arm didn't leave my shoulders, which I liked. I sat up as the last few scenes played, looking at Bernard. He seemed fixated on the movie and his arm fell to his side. Then, he looked at me and I was so surprised that I didn't pay attention to the movie. I leaned forward as he did, meeting him halfway for our second kiss. When I pulled away, my lips tingled.

"What's wrong?" He reached out and gently brushed my hair from my face.

"Nothing, I just…" I couldn't finish my sentence. "Never mind."

"Penny, tell me what's wrong." He turned the TV off and took my hands in his. I bit my lip.

"I… really like you, Bernard, and I know you feel the same way about me. I just can't continue with this relationship unless you promise me something." I waited for him to speak.

"Anything."

"Promise you won't hurt me, intentional or not."

"I promise to do my best, Penny. Will you promise _me_ something?"

"Of course."

"Promise me you won't change the way you are, no matter what happens."

"I promise I'll do my best."

"There's one other thing I have to say." He looked into my eyes.

"Yes?"

"I will always be here for you, Penelope, even if I'm back at the North Pole without you. I know you still have your pendant, so if you ever want to visit me, I'll be waiting for you. Always." His voice shook.

"Why me?" I breathed.

"Because… Because I love you, Penny." His words made my stomach drop and my heartbeat rise.

"I love you too!" I kissed him again.


End file.
